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Which Countries Have Pledged Aid to Lebanon as Conflict Worsened?

Photographers document damage in a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP)
Photographers document damage in a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP)
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Which Countries Have Pledged Aid to Lebanon as Conflict Worsened?

Photographers document damage in a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP)
Photographers document damage in a building that was hit by an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern suburb, Lebanon, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (AP)

Israeli attacks on the Hezbollah group in Lebanon have killed more than 1,000 people and wounded 6,000 in the past two weeks, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Around a million people have fled their homes seeking safety in other parts of Lebanon or in neighboring Syria, sheltering mostly in schools with few supplies.

Below are some of the countries that have pledged or provided humanitarian aid to Lebanon as the Israel-Hezbollah conflict worsened in the last few days.

SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabia has announced aid for the Lebanese population including medical assistance, state news agency SPA reported.

"The Kingdom has reiterated its commitment to standing by the Lebanese people as they face the challenges arising from the current circumstances, stressing the importance of addressing the humanitarian repercussions," SPA added.

EGYPT

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Sunday he had ordered the immediate dispatch of emergency medical and humanitarian aid to Lebanon.

During a phone call with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Sisi reiterated Egypt's continued support for Lebanon on all levels.

JORDAN

The Jordanian armed forces sent a cargo plane on Sunday carrying humanitarian aid for the Lebanese army to assist in addressing the difficult conditions the country is experiencing.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan pledged to provide Lebanon with an urgent relief aid package worth $100 million on Monday, the state news agency reported.

The initiative was part of the country's continuing efforts to support Lebanon through its current challenges, "underscoring the nation's unwavering commitment to assisting the Lebanese people," it said.

EUROPEAN UNION

The European Union announced 10 million euros ($11.2 million) in humanitarian aid on Sunday to help people in Lebanon affected by the escalating hostilities.

The funding is intended to help provide protection, food assistance, shelter and healthcare, the European Commission said in a statement.

CANADA

Canada is contributing $10 million in humanitarian assistance for civilians in Lebanon, International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen said in a statement on Saturday.

FRANCE

Visiting Lebanon on Sunday to oversee a delivery of humanitarian aid, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said it contained 12 tons of medical equipment to be used to treat 1,000 seriously injured people.

"We will always stand by the civilians", Barrot added.

TÜRKIYE

A Turkish aircraft arrived in Lebanon last Wednesday carrying medical aid and supplies to support the Lebanese health sector, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported.

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In Beirut, Volunteers Race to Help War Displaced

People in Beirut are stepping up to help tens of thousands of Lebanese displaced by Israel's aerial bombardment © Anwar AMRO / AFP
People in Beirut are stepping up to help tens of thousands of Lebanese displaced by Israel's aerial bombardment © Anwar AMRO / AFP
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In Beirut, Volunteers Race to Help War Displaced

People in Beirut are stepping up to help tens of thousands of Lebanese displaced by Israel's aerial bombardment © Anwar AMRO / AFP
People in Beirut are stepping up to help tens of thousands of Lebanese displaced by Israel's aerial bombardment © Anwar AMRO / AFP

Beirut is buzzing with activity as volunteers scramble to aid the tens of thousands displaced by Israel's intense bombardment of Lebanon this week.

Despite an economic crisis that has gripped the country for years, people in the capital are stepping up, finding shelter, cooking meals and gathering essentials.

In a cramped soup kitchen, dozens of volunteers wearing aprons and hairnets stir steaming pots of tomato bulgur and pack hundreds of meals into plastic containers.

"When people began fleeing the south, I had to help in any way possible," said Mehyeddine el Jawhary, a 33-year-old chef originally from Sidon.

"The first thing that crossed my mind was to cook meals," said Jawhary, whose parents refused to leave the southern city despite nearby air strikes.

This week Israel dramatically intensified its attacks, mostly on south Beirut and southern and eastern Lebanese areas, killing more than 700 people, according to the health ministry.

'Help each other'

The International Organization for Migration estimates that around 118,000 people have been displaced by the flare-up in just the past week.

Schools turned makeshift shelters are overflowing, and those who can afford it are renting apartments or staying with family.

"Now's not the time to say, 'It's not my problem'," said Jawhary. "The state is unable to help us, so we have to help each other."

His cooking crew delivered 1,800 meals in a single day, part of a grassroots network of community kitchens feeding those in need since the onset of the economic collapse in 2019.

Lebanon's government, strapped for cash, is offering little assistance, forcing communities to organise their own aid.

Social media is flooded with people offering free apartments or running donation drives for food and essentials.

Engineer Ziad Abichaker has raised enough money for 600 mattresses and blankets and is pushing to reach 1,000.

Helping was a "moral duty", he told AFP.

'We could all become displaced'

In Beirut's Badaro district, a group of mothers collects clothes, blankets and baby formula at Teatrino, a pre-school turned donation hub.

Sorting through piles of clothes inside the facility, paediatric dentist Mayssa Blaibel said she had stopped working at her clinic this week to become a full-time volunteer.

"It's not easy because demand is very high. We're just ordinary people trying to help, but it seems the crisis will last," said the 36-year-old.

"Because I have children, I feel it's my duty to do something. We cannot expect our society to be good if we're not giving a good example ourselves."

More than 20 kilometres (12 miles) away, in the lush Shouf mountains, Hala Zeidan has been sharing her home free of charge since Monday with a displaced family of three.

"This is our homeland and these are people who were displaced from their villages," said the 61-year-old teacher living in the Druze town of Baakline.

"We could all become displaced... we should be compassionate and work hand in hand."